What to do if your child doesn't eat

When it is time to eat, many parents will chase their children around with bowls in hand. They feel that it is very strenuous for their children to eat. Many children do not like to eat, and they stop eating after one bite. They are also very picky eaters. Faced with such problems, parents are very troubled and do not know what to do. If children do not eat well for a long time, it will affect their physical development. So what should children do if they do not eat?

Many babies usually have the habit of not liking to eat, which is a headache for parents. Some children are always picky when eating, and finally don’t eat at all. Even if they are fed, they don’t eat well. Today we will learn about what to do if children don’t eat?

Generally speaking, the reasons why babies don’t eat well may be as follows:

1. Excessive intake of high protein

Many parents think that only if the baby eats a lot of high-protein food will it be beneficial to his growth. Therefore, parents always try their best to let the baby eat more high-protein food. If babies eat too much protein-rich food, they will lose their appetite because they cannot digest it in time and do not feel hungry.

2. Excessive snacking

Some parents buy their babies a lot of food as long as their babies like it. As a result, the babies eat snacks and get full before mealtime, so they naturally lose their appetite when it’s time to actually eat.

3. Eating at too casual a time

Some parents are very casual about feeding their babies. They often let their babies eat whenever they want, or feed them a few bites whenever they remember. These will affect the baby's appetite.

4. Lack of good dining habits

Some parents are not strict with their babies' mealtimes. Babies often watch TV while eating, or play while eating. As a result, the babies' attention is distracted, and they even forget that they are eating. Over time, they will form a habit of not eating well. Some parents are impatient and when they see their baby taking his time eating, they eagerly rush over to feed their baby, which leads to a habit of chasing their baby to feed him.

5. Not getting enough exercise

Some babies are quieter and don't like to be active, so they consume less calories and naturally eat less.

6. The baby has some food accumulation

A baby's appetite has ups and downs, so you can't expect your baby to have a good appetite every day. Sometimes, babies use their tongue to push food out while eating. This may be because they have some food accumulation and this is their way of protecting themselves.

7. Parents ruin their baby’s appetite

Babies in the rebellious period cannot listen to anything their parents say and are determined to go against their parents. If a parent criticizes a baby for not eating well, he may get angry and actually stop eating well. In addition, parents criticize their babies before or during meals, or after their babies have eaten, they always think that their babies are not full and force them to continue eating. As a result, this will cause the baby to lose appetite in the long run.

8. Your baby has developed a picky eating habit

Your baby's poor eating habits may also be related to picky eating. Because parents do not add complementary foods to their babies in time, or the quantity and variety of complementary foods they add to their babies are not rich enough, the baby may develop a dislike for certain foods and not eat well.

9. Baby Food Allergy

Your baby may be born with allergies to certain foods, so he or she loses his or her appetite as soon as he or she tastes certain foods.

Solution

1. Let your baby get used to eating like an adult

Make good meal preparations for your baby, such as preparing a specific child dining chair for your baby to prevent him from running around while eating, and help your baby develop a good habit of sitting down quietly to eat. This way, your baby will be more focused when eating. When the baby is eating, parents should not chase after him to feed him, lest the baby regards feeding by his parents as an interesting parent-child game, or even as an effective way to control the parents.

2. Let your baby know that eating is not a game

If the baby has already developed such a habit, you can make adjustments by limiting the baby's snacks, strictly controlling meal times, etc. Once the baby starts to act like a spoiled child, parents must insist, even if it means letting the baby go hungry for one or two meals. Only then will he understand that dining is not a game as he imagined.

3. Don’t scold your baby at the table

Remember not to scold your baby during meals, but talk about some interesting food-related topics to stimulate your baby's appetite. Parents should adjust the dining atmosphere and make their children appear to be eating with relish and satisfaction no matter what they are eating. This attitude of parents will subtly influence the baby's attitude towards food, allowing the baby to gradually learn to eat well.

4. The baby's diet time and diet structure

Check whether your baby eats too often, whether the interval between meals and snacks is too short, or whether he eats too many snacks and sweets, etc., and then adjust the eating time and dietary structure according to the baby's characteristics. If your baby eats too many snacks, you can reduce or even eliminate snacks to give his stomach time to empty. In addition, parents should provide their babies with delicious and varied food to stimulate their appetite. These can improve your baby's dining behavior.

5. Increase the time and intensity of your baby's exercise

If the baby is less active, parents can take the baby outdoors more often to exercise and increase the amount of exercise. On the one hand, it can exercise the baby's body, and on the other hand, it can help the baby consume more calories and improve the baby's appetite.

6. Don’t force your baby to eat

If your baby really has no appetite, don't force him to eat. Let him take a rest and eat at the next meal. Forcing your baby to eat may make him or her feel disgusted with eating, and then develop a habit of not eating well.

7. Encourage your baby to eat by himself

Babies may make a mess when eating, but this is not their fault, it is simply because their motor development level is immature. Holding the spoon, scooping rice with the spoon, holding the bowl, putting rice into the mouth and other eating steps are all the result of the development of fine motor skills. They require frequent practice to be accurate. Therefore, parents can train their babies through games. For example, let your baby pick up beans with his little hands, or use chopsticks to pick up beans to exercise the flexibility of his hands. In addition, parents can also use stories and nursery rhymes to educate their babies that they must eat well in order to be healthy, so that the babies can realize the necessity of eating well.

8. Don’t overly restrict your baby’s behavior at the table

For babies, eating is also a place for them to explore the mysteries of things. For example, when some babies want to try whether they can scoop up porridge with the handle of a spoon, parents do not need to restrict them. They can let them try. Once they find the answer themselves, they will not continue to do so.

What to do if children don’t want to eat? We should first find out the reason why the baby doesn’t like to eat. There are many reasons for this. Some are because they like to eat snacks, and when they eat too many snacks, they don’t like to eat. Others are because the food they cook is not to the baby’s appetite. Parents should help their children develop good habits, not give them snacks, and let the baby love to eat.